Despite assurance, ignorance of Zira family by Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister for inclusion in the expansion of Punjab Cabinet Ministers, there is a great wave of resentment among the Akali leaders and workers.

Over
a gathering in hundreds of leaders and workers - Bibi Karamjit Kaur
Chairman, Kuldip Singh Virk former Vice Chairman, Paramjit Kaur
Sodhiwala including sarpanches, block samiti members, traders and
commission agents - while expressing solidarity by raising their
hands, with Akali MLA, Hari Singh Zira who along with his son Avtar
Singh Minna and his wife Jaswinder Kaur, have quit all party posts,
also showed resentment for non inclusion in the Punjab Cabinet, in an
up roaring meeting held under the leadership of Circle President,
Jathedar Karaz Singh Ahla.

Addressing
the meeting, he said, Jathedar Hari Sngh Zira is an old associate of
Parkash Singh Badal and during the last Lok Sabha elections he had
said to the audience that ‘You elect Ranjt Singh Brahmpura and I
promise to induct Zira as Cabinet Minister”.

In
Focus

Sources
said, enraged party workers also held a demonstration against the
state government at Makhu and Mallanwala. They also accused the
government of nepotism and have threatened to quit if Zira is not
given a Cabinet berth.

It
may be mentioned that Hari Singh Zira first won the Assembly
elections in 1977. He was also minister in the Surjit Singh Barnala
government in 1985 holding the Irrigation and Urban and Development
portfolio.

Zira
is a blot less, honest and non-controversial leader and ignoring him
a berth in the Punjab Cabinet is injustice, said leaders and workers
of the area.